Unions - Not as Weakened as You Might Have Believed
At the tail end of an article on the Democratic debate, we find this little tidbit:
The AFL-CIO — which has 55 member unions and represents 10 million workers — said in 2006 that it knocked on 8.25 million doors for union candidates, made 30 million telephone calls, distributed 14 million fliers and sent out 20 million pieces of mail.That's a lot of clout. I really had no idea that unions were still that potent a political force.In the 2004 elections, organized labor also gave $53.6 million to Democratic candidates and party committees, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That number increased to $66 million for the 2006 elections and is expected to increase again for 2008.